The Yale Club of New Haven honored 48 high school seniors from the greater New Haven area at its annual Yale-Seton Book Award event, held on Oct. 14 in Davenport College. Students were selected by their schools in recognition of their "outstanding personal character and intellectual promise."
Each Yale Book Award winner received two books, chosen by the student - one as a keepsake and one to present to their school library. The books are funded by an endowment established by the late Fenmore R. Seton '38 and his wife Phyllis Z. Seton.
The students and their families visited Davenport College, where Head of College Anjelica Gonzalez spoke about the importance of education, hard work, and determination.
Gonzalez, who is also a professor of biomedical engineering at Yale, remembered her own grandfather telling her that education "is the one thing that no can ever take away from you, once you've earned it." This year's student winners, she said, have demonstrated a dedication to their academic pursuits; the award shows that they and their families recognize the value of reading, education, and where it can take them in life. And she urged them to continue "this investment" in themselves.
She also reminded the high school seniors that higher education can come in many forms, whether through vocational training or studying at a four-year college. But whichever path each student takes, she said, they should be unafraid to ask even the simplest questions in pursuing their interests. "Those questions," she said, "open doors and show a genuine curiosity that will engage others."
After a traditional group photo with Handsome Dan on the courtyard steps, the high school students returned to the Davenport Common Room where four Yale college students - senior Elias Theodore, junior Amelia Kingsley, sophomore Dami Konigbagbe, and first-year Saket Aliminate - talked about life at Yale from a local perspective and answered visitor questions.
